2023-2024 Sheikh Gucci Power Rankings - Regular Season End

 The regular season has come to an end - here are the results of my power rankings going into the post season and some interesting insights. Good Luck to those who made it into the post-season:

Power Rankings

RK	TEAM	Conf	Playoffs	Conf-Rank	3PM	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS	PF	PA	STRK	MOVES
1	Giannis The Great  (Arshad Jaffery)	East	Yes	3	869	4882	2757	669	656	1238	12293	25308.5	23757.25	L1	87
2	Brooklyn Bridges  (Qais Yar, Sama T. B.)	East	Yes	2	1186	4943	2675	662	511	1376	12188	24889.75	23306.75	W1	56
3	Team HARAMBE!!!!!  (Roman Ghney)	East	Yes	4	1374	4231	2907	592	457	1480	12922	24808.25	24083	W2	38
4	Ice Trae 🧊🥶  (burhan ghney)	East	Yes	1	1236	3781	3086	660	399	1413	12132	23731.25	22011.5	W1	71
5	White Boi Dug  (Doug Lauermann)	West	Yes	2	1249	4396	2719	640	359	1339	11548	23409	21837	W1	71
6	Josh Giggity and The Jokers  (Riamo Equah)	East	Yes	5	1124	4102	2844	693	400	1372	11680	23353	22364	W1	90
7	The Power of Brow  (Mujabe Shekib)	West	Yes	3	1190	3747	2707	672	573	1161	11307	22747.75	21970.25	L1	49
8	Zu Crew  (Zuhair Haque)	West	Yes	1	1191	3518	2747	627	424	1250	11948	22693	21923	W2	18
9	Thunder Struck  (Isaa PG)	West	No	5	1261	3597	2478	635	576	1203	11065	21879.25	23334.75	L3	77
10	Bad Decisions  (Mustafa Masood)	West	No	4	1273	3585	2295	628	441	1242	11625	21835.75	23318.25	L1	40
11	Team LeGhney  (nauman bakhrani)	East	No	6	997	3440	2703	502	460	1110	10179	20596	22447	L1	33
12	Irving Court  (Imad Mubeen)	West	No	6	988	3063	2078	527	377	1064	8976	17786.25	22685	L11	22

Insights

• Team Giannis The Great is undoubtedly the best team in the league to end the regular season having scored 418 points than the second best ranked team Brooklyn Bridges
• Irving Court had a very bad season being the only team to NOT score more than 20,000 points
• Only scored 17,786
• The West only had 3 teams that made it to the playoffs this season.
• The East had a whopping 5 teams make the playoffs this season.
• Zu Crew, while ranked 8th in my rankings, was ranked #1 in the West.
• This is why my rankings exist - it will be interesting to see if the playoffs prove my ranking system as superior for team projections
• This is the first season that Team Thunder Struck is not in the playoffs.

AI Insights (these are generated by AI based on the data)

1. Giannis The Great: Dominating the court like a Greek god, but their fantasy performance is making fans worship the bench more than the star.
2. Brooklyn Bridges: They might be building bridges, but their fantasy opponents are burning them down with more points than a fire sale at a lumberyard.
3. Team HARAMBE!!!!!: With a name like that, you'd expect them to go bananas on the court, but lately, they've been more like a sad trombone in the playoffs.
4. Ice Trae 🧊🥶: Freezing out opponents with icy-cool stats, but their playoff hopes are colder than a polar bear's picnic.
5. White Boi Dug: They might dig deep, but opponents are mining more fantasy gold than they are, leaving them feeling more like a coal miner than a championship contender.
6. Josh Giggity and The Jokers: Their antics might bring laughs, but their fantasy performance is no joke, leaving them as serious contenders despite their clownish name.
7. The Power of Brow: Brow power might sound intimidating, but lately, it's been as effective as a soft breeze in a storm - opponents are weathering the power with ease.
8. Zu Crew: With a top ranking in the conference, Zu Crew might be feeling like kings, but their fantasy points suggest they're more like jesters in the realm of scoring.
9. Thunder Struck: The only thing striking about Thunder Struck this season is their descent from the playoffs - they're more like a drizzle than a storm on the court.
10. Bad Decisions: Making bad decisions might be their specialty, but their fantasy opponents are making worse ones by letting them score more than a bargain bin at a discount store.
11. Team LeGhney: With a name like LeGhney, you'd expect them to leave opponents in agony, but their fantasy performance is more like a sigh of relief for their rivals.
12. Irving Court: As the court jesters of the league, Irving Court might appreciate Jimmy Butler, but their performance is more like a Jimmy Fallon skit - entertaining, but not exactly winning any awards.

2023-2024 Sheikh Gucci Power Rankings - Week 1

Week 1 Power Rankings are here. Once again - the power rankings are based on which teams are the highest scoring (FPT production) and does not take actual win/loss records into account (Go kick rocks SAMJ). Also check out the video for a word from our Editor:

A word from our Editor:

Week 1 Power Rankings:

RK	TEAM	3PM	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	DD	PF	PA	STRK
1	Bad Decisions  (Mustafa Masood)	67	198	140	41	23	81	6	1207.5	1173.25	W1
2	Thunder Struck  (Isaa PG)	79	181	126	40	20	76	5	1173.25	1207.5	L1
3	Zu Crew  (Zuhair Haque)	57	202	109	35	22	62	7	1088	910.25	W1
4	Team HARAMBE!!!!!  (Roman Ghney)	59	234	119	24	21	59	11	1079.5	919.25	W1
5	The Power of Brow  (Mujabe Shekib)	45	196	111	40	23	45	4	1044.5	939.25	W1
6	Legit Weird And Annoying  (Riamo Equah)	47	196	130	32	14	71	4	1015	793	W1
7	Brooklyn Bridges  (Qais Yar, Sama T. B.)	45	200	103	34	23	83	5	1008	900	W1
8	White Boi Dug  (Doug Lauermann)	52	177	100	32	16	59	9	939.25	1044.5	L1
9	Giannis The Great  (Arshad Jaffery)	42	161	95	25	27	50	3	919.25	1079.5	L1
10	Vucci Mane  (Imad Mubeen)	44	163	94	35	32	57	2	910.25	1088	L1
11	Ice Trae 🧊🥶  (burhan ghney)	28	156	117	19	24	54	7	900	1008	L1
12	Team LeGhney  (nauman bakhrani)	24	154	120	18	16	53	6	793	1015	L1

Quick Hit Analysis:

• Bad Decisions and Thunder Struck sit head and shoulders above the competetion being the only two teams to score over 1100 FPTs.
• Bad Decisions had an absolutely epic week in particular and though it's early, looks to be the team to fear this season.
• Very surprised with Ice Trae and Team LeGhney's fpt production this year. I thought both had really good drafts initially but a lot of the young players on these teams have had slow starts which has hurt them.
• It's just week 1, but love seeing how close the scores have been. 

Week 1 Game Breakdowns:

1. Ice Trae 🧊🥶 vs. Brooklyn Bridges

   • Ice Trae 🧊🥶: 900
   • Brooklyn Bridges: 1008
   • Score Difference: 108
   • Insight: Looks like Ice Trae's cold streak continued as Brooklyn Bridges built a, well, bridge to victory with a 108-point lead! Ice Trae might need a bit of thawing.
   • 
     

2. Giannis The Great vs. Team HARAMBE!!!!!

   • Giannis The Great: 919.25
   • Team HARAMBE!!!!!: 1079.5
   • Score Difference: 160.25
   • Insight: Giannis The Great met the mighty Team HARAMBE!!!!!, but it seems Giannis might need a few more Greek gods on his side to overcome that 160-point deficit!
   • 
     

3. Legit Weird And Annoying vs. Team LeGhney

   • Legit Weird And Annoying: 1015
   • Team LeGhney: 793
   • Score Difference: 222
   • Insight: Legit Weird And Annoying lived up to their name, annoying Team LeGhney with a whopping 222-point lead! Looks like Legit Weirdness prevailed this time.

4. 
   

5. Bad Decisions vs. Thunder Struck

   • Bad Decisions: 1207.5
   • Thunder Struck: 1173.25
   • Score Difference: 34.25
   • Insight: In a battle of Bad Decisions and Thunder Struck, it seems both teams made pretty good ones! Bad Decisions just edged it out with a mere 34 points.

6. 
   

7. The Power of Brow vs. White Boi Dug

   • The Power of Brow: 1044.5
   • White Boi Dug: 939.25
   • Score Difference: 105.25
   • Insight: The Power of Brow put their Brow game on full display, outshining White Boi Dug by a solid 105 points. That's some serious brow power!

8. 
   

9. Zu Crew vs. Vucci Mane

   • Zu Crew: 1088
   • Vucci Mane: 910.25
   • Score Difference: 177.75
   • Insight: Zu Crew left Vucci Mane in the dust with an impressive 177-point lead! Looks like Zu Crew brought their A-game and then some.

2023-2024 Sheikh Gucci Draft Analysis

 Welcome, Everyone, to the 2023-2024 Season of the Sheik Gucci Fantasy Basketball league. The offseason is over, the draft is over, and now the games begin! This year once again will feature Weekly Power Rankings based on non-traditional analysis (no SAMJ - I'm not changing my ranking so that it matches ESPN's Power Ranking, GTFOH) as well as some special goodies throughout the season (hopefully?). With that said you can find the Post Draft Analysis below. Good Luck this year Everyone!

Explaining the Analysis:

• Projected Costs were pulled from: Hash Tag Basketball Using our scoring Values (found below)
• Estimated Value - 
• Projected Cost of Player minus the Actual Cost of Player
• # of Overpaid Players - 
• Count of Players where the Actual Cost of Player is greater than Projected Cost of Player
• Overpayment Amount - 
• Sum of Overpaid Amount for the team
• # of Potential Steals - 
• Count of Players where the Actual Cost of Player is less than the Project Cost of Player
• Discounted Amount - 
• Sum of Discounts earned on Players bought for less than Projected Amount
• Fair Value Players - 
• Number of Players bought at Projected Values

League Scoring Definitions:

Category	Point Value
3PM	0.5
Points	1
Total Rebounds	1.25
Assists	1.5
Steals	2
Blocks	2
Turnovers	0.5
DD	1.5

Team Draft Analysis and Grades:

Team LeGhney: A+

Well…this is a surprise but…the numbers don't lie! Team LeGhney, perpetually one of the worst teams in the league had, analytically one of the best overall drafts this year. With a League High projected value of 293 dollars worth of players and only 1 over paid player drafted (Devin Booker) Team LeGhney did really well in their decision making during the draft. Lets see if that same intelligence carries over to the Week-to-week team management.

W First Seed: A+

Anthony Edwards looks poised to officially break out as an NBA Superstar this year and landing him at $55 (a $7 dollar projected value) while also having him be your most expensive player sets the tone for this well balanced team. Anthony Davis, Kyri Irving, Desmond Bane, and Kristaps Porzingis are all very high producers as well - but the glaring issue with all 4 of these players is injury. But a great valued bench with just 1 (barely) overpaid player (Christian Wood, who was overpaid for by a whopping $2) is a great way to mitigate the injury risk. I expect W First Seed to be a player on the trade market.

Team HARAMBE!!!!! : A

Team HARAMBE!!!!! once again went with a strategy of saving their purse for the middle of the draft so that they can swoop in and get some steals. While analytically the tactic was a success, there is something missing from the roster. A bonafide star, particularly at the guard spot. With a decent roster of big men (Randle, Siakim, and JJJ) and a handful of high potential role players the team is likely best set up for a big surprise surge in the middle of the season following some trades. James Harden is an interesting sleeper pick which can yield extremely high value based on what he's capable of doing (IF he plays)

Giannis The Great: C+

Giannis is a monster. He and Jokic have led the Fantasy League as the two best producers available. Giannis  especially has always had an advantage of being the only superstar and high usage player on the bucks allowing him to dominate every possession. It's not like the bucks landed a second ball dominant star to put next to Giannis who would most likely be doing most of the decision making and leaving Giannis as primarily a Roll option vs the all around monster he's always been....

.....Oops

Well.... i'm sure a 34 year old DeRozan can make up for any loss in production.

BG 4Hunnit: A

Hear me out - I know as far as the ranking here BG 4Hunnit is at the tail end of the top 5...but throughout the draft I kept shaking my head at the steals this team picked up. Over paying only one player by a freakin dollar (Brogdan) and walking away with several Sole-Stars on bad teams, I think this team is going to be one to be feared this year. Tre Young, Paolo Banchero, DeJounte Murray, and even KAT. Oh, and my personal favorite on the list - Evan Mobley. Watch out for this one folks.

White Boi Dug: B+

This team has an affinity to represent! Doncic, Sabonis, and Lauri round out the Pale Three. Cade Cunningham just barely qualifies and I think is due for a surprise breakout year. This team was in the finals last year (defeated by yours truly of course) and Doug has proven himself a terrific team manager, so I expect some smart moves from him this year - protect the white players on your team all, because I figure come December this team will be looking to make moves and make it a White Christmas (you get it...cuz hes white, and his team has white boi in it, and his best players are white....and snow is white....yea)

Vucci Mane: B-

Jimmy Butler isn't on this team and this manager over paid for "over rated" Tatum. Did the owner sell the team during the offseason and I missed the memo?

Thunder Struck: TBD

I'm not even going to bother. The roster we see here probably wont be the roster at the end of the season. I've stated it often but this team probably has the best Team Manager in the league. Lost to me in the first round though so...Long Live the King?
Also, sorry for your loss ZuCrew, Zach may have finally found a better home.

Bad Decisions: B

No Bad Decisions to the Zoom Master (new team name?). A terrific guard lineup of Steph, Lamelo, and Fox coupled with some strong options at forward (Durant, Grant, and Bridges) with a ton of potential in the Klaw and Rui make this a team to look out for this year. 

Green Holiday Poole Bridges: C+

This team looks volatile. Vucevic, Scottie Barnes, Jordan Poole, Middleton, and Jrue holiday are all known to just lay eggs every now and then. When this team is firing it's going to be great, but I feel it's not built for the playoffs where each day matters so much more. This team also overpaid for a whopping 5 players, and I'm not sure the gambles were worth it.

Legit Weird and Annoying: F-

This team won the championship last year...that's all anyone needs to know.

Zu Crew: C

There is an utter lack of Bulls players here - has the owner finally learned his lesson? Shai and Dame are terrific pickups and will be heavily sought after by other teams. Ingram is excellent Zion insurance, which if that scenario plays out, may be a steal rather than the overpayment it is now. Gobert at 11 Dollars is I think a steal for a guy who will get you both double doubles and blocks basically every game. The rest of the roster is, meh - so look for this team to be active in trade talks.

Ranking Table

Team Name	Estimated Value	# of Overpaid Players	Overpayment Amount	# of Potential Steals	Discounted Amount	# of Fair Value Players
Team LeGhney	$293.00	1	$(12.00)	11	$305.00	1
W First Seed	$238.00	1	$(2.00)	11	$240.00	1
Team HARAMBE!!!!!	$234.00	2	$(9.00)	10	$(20.00)	0
Giannis The Great	$227.00	3	$(23.00)	7	$250.00	3
BG 4Hunnit	$210.00	1	$(1.00)	10	$211.00	2
White Boi Dug	$190.00	4	$(15.00)	9	$205.00	0
Vucci Mane	$174.00	1	$(5.00)	9	$179.00	3
Thunder Struck	$159.00	4	$(36.00)	8	$195.00	1
Bad Decisions	$128.00	1	$(13.00)	10	$141.00	2
Green Holiday Poole Bridges	$125.00	5	$(47.00)	8	$172.00	0
Legit Weird And Annoying	$96.00	4	$(21.00)	6	$117.00	3
Zu Crew	$55.00	5	$(34.00)	5	$89.00	3

Full Breakdown Table:

Team Name
Green Holiday Poole Bridges	PLAYER	Cost	Projected Cost	Difference
	Nikola Vucevic Chi, C	$26.00	$51.00	$25.00
	Jordan Poole Wsh, SG	$30.00	$10.00	$(20.00)
	Mikal Bridges Bkn, SF	$36.00	$27.00	$(9.00)
	Scottie Barnes Tor, PF	$15.00	$44.00	$29.00
	Keldon Johnson SA, SF	$9.00	$1.00	$(8.00)
	Jrue Holiday Bos, PG	$10.00	$32.00	$22.00
	CJ McCollum NO, SG	$11.00	$21.00	$10.00
	Jalen Green Hou, SG	$9.00	$1.00	$(8.00)
	Jarrett Allen Cle, C	$9.00	$44.00	$35.00
	Khris Middleton Mil, SF	$12.00	$10.00	$(2.00)
	Jonas Valanciunas NO, C	$9.00	$18.00	$9.00
	Devin Vassell SA, SF	$4.00	$29.00	$25.00
	Jusuf Nurkic Phx, C	$20.00	$37.00	$17.00
Thunder Struck	PLAYER	OFFER AMOUNT	Projected Value	Delta
	Victor Wembanyama SA, C	$38.00	$93.00	$55.00
	Zach LaVine Chi, SG	$30.00	$5.00	$(25.00)
	Paul George LAC, SF	$31.00	$47.00	$16.00
	Jaylen Brown Bos, SG	$27.00	$32.00	$5.00
	Jamal Murray Den, PG	$15.00	$23.00	$8.00
	Chet Holmgren OKC, PF	$24.00	$58.00	$34.00
	Tyler Herro Mia, SG	$14.00	$5.00	$(9.00)
	Tobias Harris Phi, SF	$6.00	$5.00	$(1.00)
	Michael Porter Jr. Den, SF	$6.00	$5.00	$(1.00)
	Dennis Schroder Tor, PG	$1.00	$1.00	$-
	Wendell Carter Jr. Orl, C	$4.00	$20.00	$16.00
	Draymond Green GS, PF	$1.00	$27.00	$26.00
	Josh Hart NY, SG	$1.00	$36.00	$35.00
Bad Decisions	PLAYER	OFFER AMOUNT	Projected Value	Delta
	Stephen Curry GS, PG	$50.00	$37.00	$(13.00)
	LaMelo Ball Cha, PG	$45.00	$86.00	$41.00
	De'Aaron Fox Sac, PG	$31.00	$32.00	$1.00
	Kevin Durant Phx, SF	$37.00	$42.00	$5.00
	Kawhi Leonard LAC, SF	$21.00	$37.00	$16.00
	Bobby Portis Mil, PF	$6.00	$16.00	$10.00
	Jerami Grant Por, PF	$4.00	$12.00	$8.00
	Miles Bridges Cha, PF	$1.00	$14.00	$13.00
	Rui Hachimura LAL, PF	$1.00	$1.00	$-
	Norman Powell LAC, SG	$1.00	$1.00	$-
	Bruce Brown Ind, SG	$1.00	$18.00	$17.00
	De'Anthony Melton Phi, PG	$1.00	$27.00	$26.00
	Santi Aldama Mem, PF	$1.00	$5.00	$4.00
BG 4Hunnit	PLAYER	OFFER AMOUNT	Projected Value	Delta
	Paolo Banchero Orl, PF	$27.00	$36.00	$9.00
	Trae Young Atl, PG	$57.00	$57.00	$-
	Karl-Anthony Towns Min, C	$37.00	$48.00	$11.00
	Dejounte Murray Atl, PG	$31.00	$62.00	$31.00
	Evan Mobley Cle, PF	$16.00	$63.00	$47.00
	Alperen Sengun Hou, C	$14.00	$45.00	$31.00
	Jalen Williams OKC, SG	$7.00	$23.00	$16.00
	Kevin Huerter Sac, SG	$4.00	$5.00	$1.00
	Brandon Miller Cha, SG	$1.00	$1.00	$-
	Terry Rozier Cha, SG	$2.00	$21.00	$19.00
	Ivica Zubac LAC, C	$1.00	$20.00	$19.00
	Malcolm Brogdon Por, PG	$2.00	$1.00	$(1.00)
	Robert Williams III Por, C	$1.00	$28.00	$27.00
White Boi Dug	PLAYER	OFFER AMOUNT	Projected Value	Delta
	Luka Doncic Dal, PG	$73.00	$101.00	$28.00
	Domantas Sabonis Sac, PF	$54.00	$78.00	$24.00
	Lauri Markkanen Utah, PF	$29.00	$24.00	$(5.00)
	Cade Cunningham Det, PG	$14.00	$55.00	$41.00
	Keegan Murray Sac, PF	$9.00	$5.00	$(4.00)
	Cameron Johnson Bkn, SF	$6.00	$15.00	$9.00
	P.J. Washington Cha, PF	$1.00	$25.00	$24.00
	Jaden Ivey Det, PG	$1.00	$5.00	$4.00
	Shaedon Sharpe Por, SG	$6.00	$1.00	$(5.00)
	Marcus Smart Mem, SG	$1.00	$25.00	$24.00
	Mark Williams Cha, C	$3.00	$39.00	$36.00
	Bennedict Mathurin Ind, SF	$2.00	$1.00	$(1.00)
	Jeremy Sochan SA, PF	$1.00	$16.00	$15.00
Team HARAMBE!!!!!	PLAYER	OFFER AMOUNT	Projected Value	Delta
	Pascal Siakam Tor, PF	$29.00	$51.00	$22.00
	Julius Randle NY, PF	$29.00	$42.00	$13.00
	James Harden Phi, SG	$13.00	$77.00	$64.00
	Jaren Jackson Jr. Mem, PF	$28.00	$88.00	$60.00
	Kyle Kuzma Wsh, PF	$19.00	$35.00	$16.00
	Russell Westbrook LAC, PG	$12.00	$26.00	$14.00
	Austin Reaves LAL, SG	$9.00	$1.00	$(8.00)
	D'Angelo Russell LAL, PG	$6.00	$16.00	$10.00
	Clint Capela Atl, C	$10.00	$44.00	$34.00
	Bradley Beal Phx, SG	$14.00	$16.00	$2.00
	Klay Thompson GS, SG	$5.00	$5.00	$-
	Anfernee Simons Por, SG	$6.00	$5.00	$(1.00)
	John Collins Utah, PF	$7.00	$15.00	$8.00
Giannis The Great	PLAYER	OFFER AMOUNT	Projected Value	Delta
	Giannis Antetokounmpo Mil, PF	$77.00	$97.00	$20.00
	DeMar DeRozan Chi, SF	$27.00	$16.00	$(11.00)
	Jalen Brunson NY, PG	$27.00	$18.00	$(9.00)
	Walker Kessler Utah, C	$7.00	$75.00	$68.00
	Bam Adebayo Mia, C	$28.00	$61.00	$33.00
	Spencer Dinwiddie Bkn, SG	$12.00	$9.00	$(3.00)
	Tyus Jones Wsh, PG	$6.00	$30.00	$24.00
	Nic Claxton Bkn, C	$6.00	$72.00	$66.00
	Buddy Hield Ind, SG	$5.00	$5.00	$-
	Daniel Gafford Wsh, C	$2.00	$37.00	$35.00
	Royce O'Neale Bkn, SF	$1.00	$1.00	$-
	Immanuel Quickley NY, PG	$1.00	$5.00	$4.00
	Cole Anthony Orl, PG	$1.00	$1.00	$-
Team LeGhney	PLAYER	OFFER AMOUNT	Projected Value	Delta
	Ben Simmons Bkn, PG	$11.00	$46.00	$35.00
	Tyrese Haliburton Ind, PG	$49.00	$93.00	$44.00
	Devin Booker Phx, SG	$48.00	$36.00	$(12.00)
	Zion Williamson NO, PF	$22.00	$27.00	$5.00
	Jimmy Butler Mia, SF	$29.00	$46.00	$17.00
	Fred VanVleet Hou, PG	$10.00	$55.00	$45.00
	Myles Turner Ind, C	$11.00	$63.00	$52.00
	Scoot Henderson Por, PG	$8.00	$23.00	$15.00
	Jakob Poeltl Tor, C	$6.00	$48.00	$42.00
	Amen Thompson Hou, SG	$3.00	$6.00	$3.00
	T.J. McConnell Ind, PG	$1.00	$1.00	$-
	Markelle Fultz Orl, PG	$1.00	$27.00	$26.00
	Kyle Anderson Min, SF	$1.00	$22.00	$21.00
Legit Weird And Annoying	PLAYER	OFFER AMOUNT	Projected Value	Delta
	Nikola Jokic Den, C	$79.00	$124.00	$45.00
	LeBron James LAL, SF	$51.00	$47.00	$(4.00)
	Josh Giddey OKC, PG	$25.00	$35.00	$10.00
	Franz Wagner Orl, SF	$21.00	$9.00	$(12.00)
	Jabari Smith Jr. Hou, PF	$10.00	$26.00	$16.00
	RJ Barrett NY, SF	$5.00	$1.00	$(4.00)
	Onyeka Okongwu Atl, C	$1.00	$29.00	$28.00
	Jarred Vanderbilt LAL, PF	$2.00	$16.00	$14.00
	Caris LeVert Cle, SG	$1.00	$1.00	$-
	Saddiq Bey Atl, SF	$2.00	$1.00	$(1.00)
	Derrick Rose Mem, PG	$1.00	$1.00	$-
	Ausar Thompson Det, SF	$1.00	$5.00	$4.00
	Mo Bamba Phi, C	$1.00	$1.00	$-
W First Seed	PLAYER	OFFER AMOUNT	Projected Value	Delta
	Anthony Edwards Min, SG	$55.00	$62.00	$7.00
	Anthony Davis LAL, PF	$48.00	$111.00	$63.00
	Desmond Bane Mem, SG	$22.00	$30.00	$8.00
	Kyrie Irving Dal, PG	$25.00	$48.00	$23.00
	Kristaps Porzingis Bos, C	$15.00	$51.00	$36.00
	Ja Morant Mem, PG	$15.00	$44.00	$29.00
	Chris Paul GS, PG	$4.00	$39.00	$35.00
	Tre Jones SA, PG	$4.00	$7.00	$3.00
	Brook Lopez Mil, C	$3.00	$32.00	$29.00
	Kevon Looney GS, C	$2.00	$5.00	$3.00
	Aaron Gordon Den, PF	$2.00	$6.00	$4.00
	Christian Wood LAL, C	$3.00	$1.00	$(2.00)
	Collin Sexton Utah, SG	$1.00	$1.00	$-
Vucci Mane	PLAYER	OFFER AMOUNT	Projected Value	Delta
	Jayson Tatum Bos, SF	$71.00	$66.00	$(5.00)
	Joel Embiid Phi, C	$67.00	$106.00	$39.00
	Donovan Mitchell Cle, SG	$41.00	$41.00	$-
	Darius Garland Cle, PG	$12.00	$39.00	$27.00
	Mike Conley Min, PG	$1.00	$10.00	$9.00
	Naz Reid Min, C	$1.00	$1.00	$-
	Mason Plumlee LAC, C	$1.00	$5.00	$4.00
	Mitchell Robinson NY, C	$1.00	$52.00	$51.00
	Herbert Jones NO, PF	$1.00	$22.00	$21.00
	Tari Eason Hou, SF	$1.00	$20.00	$19.00
	Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Den, SG	$1.00	$6.00	$5.00
	Malik Monk Sac, SG	$1.00	$1.00	$-
	Jaden McDaniels Min, SF	$1.00	$5.00	$4.00
Zu Crew	PLAYER	OFFER AMOUNT	Projected Value	Delta
	Shai Gilgeous-Alexander OKC, SG	$59.00	$62.00	$3.00
	Damian Lillard Mil, PG	$47.00	$40.00	$(7.00)
	Rudy Gobert Min, C	$11.00	$58.00	$47.00
	Brandon Ingram NO, SF	$25.00	$13.00	$(12.00)
	Tyrese Maxey Phi, SG	$17.00	$6.00	$(11.00)
	Deandre Ayton Por, C	$20.00	$35.00	$15.00
	Andrew Wiggins GS, SF	$6.00	$20.00	$14.00
	O.G. Anunoby Tor, SF	$2.00	$1.00	$(1.00)
	Jordan Clarkson Utah, SG	$4.00	$1.00	$(3.00)
	Derrick White Bos, PG	$1.00	$11.00	$10.00
	Harrison Barnes Sac, SF	$1.00	$1.00	$-
	Bojan Bogdanovic Det, PF	$1.00	$1.00	$-
	Bismack Biyombo Phx, C	$1.00	$1.00	$-

Across the Spider-Verse with a Leap of Faith

 

 

Miles, exhausted and excited, tries to explain to his “mom” of the events that took place earlier that day. He paces back and forth as words come out of his mouth and try to form a coherent story, jumping from unbelievable event before explaining yet another, none making sense and he knows it. Exasperated he sighs as his mother looks on. His eyes closed, straining as his mind tries to piece everything together to say what he wants…then he pauses. His eyes open “I beat them…” he says realizing it for the first time himself. His slouched demeanor straightens, and he looks right at his mom and finishes his thought: “I beat them all.”

As with any movie worth its salt in this day and age, Spiderman: Across the Spider-verse tries to tackle multiple different themes at once. The theme in across the spiderman that sticks out to me the most is the same one that has driven my fandom for the Matrix Movies and even my own spiritual understanding: Is life about Causality or Destiny – or…is there a third path?

Spiderman: Into the Spider-verse, released in 2018, largely was a coming-of-age story. In that movie Miles is portrayed as boy who is special (intelligence wise) but doesn’t want to accept being special. He wants normalcy and throughout the movie he is trying to come to grips with the concept of what it is to be normal and what it is to be special – vis a vis – what is it to be a hero: Spiderman. The lesson Miles learns at the end is that being special and being normal are both choices. “Anyone can be spiderman, anyone can wear the mask” he concludes at the end of the movie. “It’s all a leap of faith”.

Across the Spiderverse however attempts to shatter that thesis. Miguel O’Hara (Spiderman 2099) forms an entire Spider-Society devoted for ending anomalies and stabilizing the spiderverse. He concludes that “anomalies”, beings that shouldn’t exist in a certain universe, will ultimately cause the universe they invaded to unravel. He reaches this conclusion after a universe he chose to live in disappeared and he was unable to save it despite enlisting the aid of other spider-people.

The most unfortunate plight revealed at the climax of the movie is that Miles IS the original Anomaly. The way Miguel sees it – the catastrophe of unstable universes is directly caused by Miles becoming spiderman, which was an unnatural event. The spider from universe 42 was never supposed to have bitten miles, and if Miles had not arrived to see spiderman trying to shut off the original collider, then his universe’s peter parker would not have died and he would have destroyed the collider preventing any breaches in universes. For Miguel, everything that has happened since that event (mostly bad in his eyes) is due to the original Anamoly.

At the Climax of the movie we learn about something called “Cannon” events. These events are “SUPPOSED” to happen and are a way of solidifying the role of Spiderman in a universe and ultimately stabilizing it. If Cannon events do not happen then the universe is torn apart. Miguel reaches this conclusion based on his own experience of altering a canon event so that he can be happy, and this was hinted at by the original Spiderman in “Into the Spiderverse” in his conversation with the Kingpin (who wanted to reunite with his dead wife and son in another universe).

The plight that Miles grapples within the movie is that he actually does believe in the concept of Causality. Afterall, the reason he is spiderman isn’t just because he was bitten by a Spider – but because he chose to be a Hero by taking his leap of faith. This is why he’s shown to be very much affected by Miguel’s words. We conclude that all Spider-people shown in the Spiderverse movies are believers in Causality. It is why they are all so readily able to accept Miguel’s premise and it is what they (the ones shown in Into the Spiderverse) try to teach Miles. That being spiderman isn’t just something that happens, it’s a choice you make. However – this isn’t actually why Miles becomes Spiderman. It boils down to the idea of a “Leap of faith”.

I’ve heard this term for many years in many medias. I don’t think I’ve ever given it as much thought as I have after watching Across the Spiderverse. Often times in media we are given the debate of Causality vs Destiny. Causality we have covered here extensively, is all about making a choice. Destiny is the opposite. Destiny is the fact that the choice has already been made and the results are unavoidable. Across the spiderverse however offers a third path – the leap of faith.

The concept of the leap of faith is a hybrid of Causality and Destiny. The notion here is that you willingly choose to take a leap with no idea of what the landing will hold, and you put faith that the landing will hold whatever it is you’re meant to be. To me there is nothing more Islamic than that idea.

Islam to me has always built a special relationship with Allah(SWT). The idea that the almighty knows your intentions and the results of your efforts, knows where you will go and what you will do. However, Islam also preaches the idea that Humans have free will, the freedom to choose. The original reason for humans to exist on earth was to determine who would choose to be a Muslim.

I have often imagined that Allah (SWT) can see our lives like the nodes shown in Across the spiderverse. The branches of all of our choices, where those decisions lead and who we become as a result of those choices. I also believe that Humans are given a great gift, the power of dua. The ability to make a choice, a leap of faith in a request, and the hope that Allah(SWT) will potentially move us from a branch that ends in ruin for us, to one that is more prosperous. This is the fundamental concept of being a Muslim – believing in the power of dua and taking that leap of faith.

So it’s important here when Miles despite being given the logic of causality decides to break through and try to go home. When he finally leaps off the train headed to the moon, taking one last leap of faith and trusting in his strength and his belief – that the choice to be made isn’t the one chosen by an algorhtim, but ne made in the heart.

So when he stands in front of his “mom” and proudly says “I beat them all” it resonates for me. Because he couldn’t have beat them all if he wasn’t meant to be Spiderman, he shouldn’t be stronger than all these other spider-people if they were in the right. His strength isn’t derived from a radioactive spider that bit him – it’s derived from something far deeper. It’s derived from his faith of what it is to be “Special” - to be a hero. And being special isn’t just something that happens, it is something that is earned through a choice, by your own willingness to take that leap of faith.

Across the spiderverse to me is just an amazing demonstration of the idea of a leap of faith and putting the entire concept of Causality and Destiny and putting it on it’s head – one that I think I really connect with as a Muslim – and one that I think embodies what it truly means to be a special person. Whether Miles is an Anamoly or not is besides the point – he is what he chooses to be, and his faith in his choice is what drives his strength and that is why he is Spiderman.

2022-2023 Sheikh Gucci - (Team Legit Weird and Annoying: Retrospective)

 

The 2022-2023 season of the Sheikh Gucci Fantasy League has come to a close. That's 7 seasons completed. As we now move on to the offseason I want to start establishing Retrospectives from the team manager point of view. These are meant to be more personal views of how the season went, lessons learned, and hopes for the future. As the current champion (sounds good to say) I wanted to go first: 

2022-2023 Sheikh Gucci Champion - Team Legit Weird and Annoying

 The 2022-2023 SGFL has come to a close and the champion is...well....me:

I certainly have thoughts on the matter, lots of them, and a lot of them not just from today but from the past 6 weeks - the journey that ends here.

First Lets get some numbers out of the way:

Here is a breakdown of all the champions in our league

Year	Season Rank	Seed	TEAM	Wins	Losses	PF	PA	PF/G	PA/G	DIFF
2023	1 - Champion	8	Legit Weird And Annoying  (Riamo Equah)	8	10	22295.5	23258.75	1238.6	1292.2	-53.5
2022	1 - Champion	1	Thunder Struck  (Isaa PG)	17	1	24724.25	20608	1373.6	1144.9	228.7
2021	1 - Champion	3	Kawhi Not?  (Sama T. B.)	10	4	17927.75	16463.75	1280.6	1176	104.6
2020	1 - Champion	1	Kawhi Me A River  (joe jhonson)	16	2	23382.5	20405.5	1299	1133.6	165.4
2019	1 - Champion	4	Magical Elements  (Paykan Ghney)	12	6	23942	20611.5	1330.1	1145.1	185
2018	1 - Champion	4	The Weekenders  (burhan ghney)	12	6	22706	21758.5	1261.4	1208.8	52.6
2017	1 - Champion	2	Team HARAMBE!!!!!  (Roman Ghney)	12	2	22252	19353	1308.9	1138.4	170.5

Team Legit Weird and Annoying is the lowest seeded team to win a championship in the 7 years this league has been running. The runner up? Team BG 4Hunnit, who at the time were called "The Weekenders" due to their propensity to drop the majority of their points on the weekend and usually go from losing the week to winning it after the point onslaught.

That team's record when it won the championship in 2018 was 12 wins and 6 losses, and was the 4th ranked team. Interestingly enough that year the 3 teams ahead of "The Weekenders" all were tied with a record of 14 wins and 4 losses. For comparison, Team Legit Annoying and Weird's record this season was 8 wins and 10 losses. In the 7 seasons of this league, there have been 5 teams that have had an 8-10 record. Only 2 of those teams made it into the playoffs, both as 8 seeds (Arshad Jaffery Ass Whopping in 2018 and The Ball Brothers in 2022). Only one of those teams made it out of the first round and neither of them made it to finals. So yes - it's felt a bit like I was flying in rare air here.

I think it's also worth considering that the top 3 teams this year were really, really good. Thunder Struck finished with a league best 15 wins this year which is the 3rd highest number of wins of all time (The other two are 16 wins in 2020 by Kawhi Me a River and 17 wins in 2022 by....Thunder Struck). The second place team had 14 wins but despite the extra loss actually scored ~500fpts more than Thunder Struck and was the number 1 team in my rankings.

It also should be noted that I started the season with 5 straight losses. My record in the first 12 weeks was 3-9.

Here is the overall history of our league for those who want to take a look

Year	Season Rank	Seed	TEAM	Wins	Losses	PF	PA	PF/G	PA/G	DIFF
2023	2	3	White Boi Dug  (Doug Lauermann)	12	6	24443.75	23251	1358	1291.7	66.3
2023	3	7	Bad Decisions  (Mustafa Masood)	10	8	23484.25	22884.75	1304.7	1271.4	33.3
2023	4	5	Suprcalifraglis ticxpaliSabonis  (Qais Yar)	10	8	23782.75	21865.75	1321.3	1214.8	106.5
2023	5	4	Harden AF  (Arshad Jaffery)	11	7	23633.75	22952.75	1313	1275.2	37.8
2023	6	2	Team HARAMBE!!!!!  (Roman Ghney)	14	4	25153.5	22242	1397.4	1235.7	161.8
2023	7	6	W First seed  (Mujabe Shekib)	10	8	22859.25	21922.5	1270	1217.9	52
2023	8	1	Thunder Struck  (Isaa PG)	15	3	24606.5	21654.5	1367	1203	164
2023	9	12	BG 4Hunnit  (burhan ghney)	2	16	17460.25	22434.75	970	1246.4	-276.4
2023	10	9	Team LeGhney  (nauman bakhrani)	6	12	19679.75	22485	1093.3	1249.2	-155.8
2023	11	11	Vucci Mane  (Imad Mubeen)	5	13	20175.25	21161.25	1120.8	1175.6	-54.8
2023	12	10	Zu Crew  (Zuhair Haque)	5	13	21110.25	22571.75	1172.8	1254	-81.2
2023	1-Champion	8	Legit Weird And Annoying  (Riamo Equah)	8	10	22295.5	23258.75	1238.6	1292.2	-53.5
2022	2	2	Legit Annoying  (Sama T. B.)	12	6	24417.5	21720.5	1356.5	1206.7	149.8
2022	3	3	Legit Hospital  (Qais Yar)	12	6	21854.75	20975.75	1214.2	1165.3	48.8
2022	4	4	Team HARAMBE!!!!!  (Roman Ghney)	12	6	22907.5	21478	1272.6	1193.2	79.4
2022	5	5	Greek Jokert  (Arshad Jaffery)	11	7	23570.25	21188.5	1309.5	1177.1	132.3
2022	6	8	The Ball Brothers  (Imad Mubeen)	8	10	20461.75	21136	1136.8	1174.2	-37.5
2022	7	6	BG 4Hunnit  (burhan ghney)	10	8	20498.25	21233	1138.8	1179.6	-40.8
2022	8	7	J.Ingles Bells  (Mustafa Masood)	10	8	21300.25	21158.25	1183.3	1175.5	7.9
2022	9	10	Kawhi Me A River  (joe jhonson)	4	14	19234.25	22529.25	1068.6	1251.6	-183.1
2022	10	11	Legit Weird  (Riamo Equah)	4	14	18335.5	20612.5	1018.6	1145.1	-126.5
2022	11	9	Zu Crew  (Zuhair Haque)	8	10	19757.5	19134.25	1097.6	1063	34.6
2022	12	12	Team LeGOAT  (nauman bakhrani)	0	18	17248.25	22536	958.2	1252	-293.8
2022	1-Champion	1	Thunder Struck  (Isaa PG)	17	1	24724.25	20608	1373.6	1144.9	228.7
2021	2	6	Team HARAMBE!!!!!  (Roman Ghney)	8	6	17188.5	16716.5	1227.8	1194	33.7
2021	3	1	Cobra Kai  (Paykan Ghney)	11	3	18719.75	15005.25	1337.1	1071.8	265.3
2021	4	7	Hunnit Dolla Bills  (Arshad Jaffery)	8	6	17696.25	16965.25	1264	1211.8	52.2
2021	5	8	Legit Delusional  (Qais Yar)	8	6	17104.25	15781	1221.7	1127.2	94.5
2021	6	2	1st Seed  (Mujabe Shekib)	11	3	16844	15271.75	1203.1	1090.8	112.3
2021	7	4	Three Ball!!!  (Doug Lauermann)	10	4	17281.75	16316.5	1234.4	1165.5	68.9
2021	8	5	BG 4Hunnit  (burhan ghney)	9	5	17302	15095.25	1235.9	1078.2	157.6
2021	9	10	Good Team Bad Manager  (Mustafa Masood)	5	9	16165	16464.25	1154.6	1176	-21.4
2021	10	9	Legit Weird  (Riamo Equah)	7	7	15940.5	15974.25	1138.6	1141	-2.4
2021	11	12	Team LeGOAT  (nauman bakhrani)	3	11	13724.5	17029.5	980.3	1216.4	-236.1
2021	12	13	The Zion King  (Imad Mubeen, Saad Mubeen)	3	11	15658.75	16508	1118.5	1179.1	-60.7
2021	13	14	Zu Crew  (Zuhair Haque)	1	13	12337.25	16407.75	881.2	1172	-290.8
2021	14	11	Kawhi Me A River  (joe jhonson)	4	10	12745	16636.25	910.4	1188.3	-277.9
2021	1-Champion	3	Kawhi Not?  (Sama T. B.)	10	4	17927.75	16463.75	1280.6	1176	104.6
2020	2	2	Kobe 24  (Mustafa Masood)	14	4	22196	19469	1233.1	1081.6	151.5
2020	3	3	MAM8A M2NT4LITY  (Sama T. B.)	13	5	22487	20613	1249.3	1145.2	104.1
2020	4	4	The Big Lebronski  (Arshad Jaffery)	11	7	22692.5	20444.5	1260.7	1135.8	124.9
2020	5	5	Jimmy BAM BAM!! !!!!  (Roman Ghney)	11	7	22303.5	21290.5	1239.1	1182.8	56.3
2020	6	7	Magical Elements  (Paykan Ghney)	9	9	21520.5	20332.5	1195.6	1129.6	66
2020	7	6	Va - Giannis  (Qais Yar)	10	8	21393	20713	1188.5	1150.7	37.8
2020	8	8	Trae Bombs  (Imad Mubeen)	9	9	22146	20218	1230.3	1123.2	107.1
2020	9	9	Zu Crew  (Zuhair Haque)	8	10	18966	20701.5	1053.7	1150.1	-96.4
2020	10	10	Hacksaw AldRidge  (burhan ghney)	8	10	19791	20249.5	1099.5	1125	-25.5
2020	11	11	Team Vucevic mane  (nauman bakhrani)	7	11	16317.5	18774.5	906.5	1043	-136.5
2020	12	12	Darth Hinrich  (Riamo Equah)	6	12	19401.5	20310.5	1077.9	1128.4	-50.5
2020	13	13	Simmons Says NBA ROY  (Saad Mubeen)	4	14	18639	20099.5	1035.5	1116.6	-81.1
2020	14	14	We Ballin?  (usman hussain)	0	18	13212	20826.5	734	1157	-423
2020	1-Champion	1	Kawhi Me A River  (joe jhonson)	16	2	23382.5	20405.5	1299	1133.6	165.4
2019	2	1	@Arshad Jaffery Sucks  (Roman Ghney)	14	4	23386	20794.5	1299.2	1155.3	144
2019	3	7	Andre The Giant  (Arshad Jaffery)	10	8	22247	20771	1235.9	1153.9	82
2019	4	8	The Legacy of Hinrich  (Riamo Equah)	10	8	21581	20852	1198.9	1158.4	40.5
2019	5	6	RIP Stan Lee The GOAT  (burhan ghney)	11	7	21241	21333.5	1180.1	1185.2	-5.1
2019	6	2	James Has A Harden  (Qais Yar)	14	4	22406.5	20503	1244.8	1139.1	105.8
2019	7	3	Zu Crew  (Zuhair Haque)	13	5	21912.5	19620.5	1217.4	1090	127.3
2019	8	5	Team Ice Baller  (nauman bakhrani)	12	6	20093	19603	1116.3	1089.1	27.2
2019	9	10	Kawhi me a river  (Mustafa Masood)	7	11	19511.5	20407	1084	1133.7	-49.8
2019	10	13	Rose before Hoes 3  (Sama T. B.)	3	15	17872	21825.5	992.9	1212.5	-219.6
2019	11	11	We Ballin?  (usman hussain)	5	13	19660.5	21520	1092.3	1195.6	-103.3
2019	12	12	ER Squad  (Imad Mubeen)	4	14	16955	20581	941.9	1143.4	-201.4
2019	13	9	- Team Mubeen  (Saad Mubeen)	9	9	20506.5	20094	1139.3	1116.3	22.9
2019	14	14	Lovin da Hood  (joe jhonson)	2	16	17904.5	20702.5	994.7	1150.1	-155.4
2019	1-Champion	4	Magical Elements  (Paykan Ghney)	12	6	23942	20611.5	1330.1	1145.1	185
2018	2	1	TEAM HARAMBE!!!!  (Roman Ghney)	14	4	21306	20173.5	1183.7	1120.8	62.9
2018	3	8	Arshad Jaffery Ass Whooping  (Qais Yar)	8	10	20645	21362.5	1146.9	1186.8	-39.9
2018	4	2	Andre The Giant  (Arshad Jaffery)	14	4	23272	20764	1292.9	1153.6	139.3
2018	5	6	Team Khera  (Rajbir Khera)	10	8	21742.5	20599	1207.9	1144.4	63.5
2018	6	3	Magical Elements  (Paykan Ghney)	14	4	23423	19802	1301.3	1100.1	201.2
2018	7	5	Team bakhrani  (nauman bakhrani)	11	7	21235	20386	1179.7	1132.6	47.2
2018	8	7	- Team Mubeen  (Saad Mubeen)	9	9	21532	20568.5	1196.2	1142.7	53.5
2018	9	12	Bye Week  (Mustafa Ahmed)	1	17	16562.5	21401	920.1	1188.9	-268.8
2018	10	11	Prince Williams Loves Carroll's  (joe jhonson)	4	14	20097.5	21953.5	1116.5	1219.6	-103.1
2018	11	10	Jimmy G Buckets  (Imad Mubeen)	5	13	19417	20986	1078.7	1165.9	-87.2
2018	12	9	The Legacy of Hinrich  (Riamo Equah)	6	12	18920.5	21104.5	1051.1	1172.5	-121.3
2018	1-Champion	4	The Weekenders  (burhan ghney)	12	6	22706	21758.5	1261.4	1208.8	52.6
2017	2	1	Magical Elements  (Paykan Ghney)	14	3	22493	19324.5	1323.1	1136.7	186.4
2017	3	3	BG 4hunnit  (burhan ghney)	12	5	21859.5	19612.5	1285.9	1153.7	132.2
2017	4	6	Jimmy G Buckets  (Imad Mubeen)	9	8	22129	20955	1301.7	1232.6	69.1
2017	5	7	Better call Gasol  (joe jhonson)	7	10	18760.5	19662.5	1103.6	1156.6	-53.1
2017	6	4	Boogie Nights  (Qais Yar)	12	5	22665	19532	1333.2	1148.9	184.3
2017	7	8	Razzle Dazzle  (Bobby Gulas)	5	12	17870	20439.5	1051.2	1202.3	-151.1
2017	8	5	Team bakhrani  (nauman bakhrani)	12	5	20147.5	19840	1185.1	1167.1	18.1
2017	9	12	Team Equah  (Riamo Equah)	3	14	16438.5	20134.5	967	1184.4	-217.4
2017	10	10	- FearTheBeard  (Wes Dancy)	4	13	18053	20206	1061.9	1188.6	-126.6
2017	11	9	My Team Sucks  (Arshad Jaffery)	5	12	18907.5	19776	1112.2	1163.3	-51.1
2017	12	11	Bye Week  (Abdul Worroryar)	4	13	17767	20507	1045.1	1206.3	-161.2
2017	1-Champion	2	Team HARAMBE!!!!!  (Roman Ghney)	12	2	22252	19353	1308.9	1138.4	170.5